Eiffel Tower: Tickets, Floors, Hours and How to Visit

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This guide covers tickets, hours, the three floors, security, and accessibility, using only the Tower’s own published figures. For the wider set of Paris sights, start at Things to Do in Paris. Four narrower questions about the visit — bag rules, whether the summit is worth the extra cost, stairs versus elevator, and the exact step count — have their own pages linked throughout below.

Tickets and prices

Prices as of September 2026. The Tower sells two ways up (stairs or elevator) and two destinations (second floor or the top), plus bundles with food or a guided tour.

(1) The discounted student rate needs proof of age; the disability rate covers the cardholder plus one companion. Children under 4 need a ticket but pay nothing. Source:¹.

Bundled options exist for visitors who want more than the view: a glass of champagne at the top adds to €60.70 for an adult ticket, a glass at the second-floor kiosk brings an elevator ticket to €44.50, and a brunch at Madame Brasserie with a top ticket runs €121.70. Official guided tours, led by Tower staff rather than a third party, are also sold directly, from €53.50 for a tour to the second floor¹.

Buying online versus on-site. The best prices are available both online and at the ticket counters. Elevator e-tickets can be booked up to 90 days ahead, and stairs e-tickets up to 60 days ahead; the Tower recommends booking as early as possible for June through September and for school and public holidays. If online tickets run out for a date, the on-site ticket offices still sell tickets for immediate entry, subject to availability³. Anticipate arriving at least 2 hours before closing: the ticket office for the top typically closes about 1 hour 45 minutes before closing time, and the stairs ticket office up to 45 minutes before the stairs close, though these windows shrink further at busy periods¹³⁵. One caution from the Tower’s Visitor Regulations: tickets cannot be resold, and the operator “reserves the right to refuse access” to anyone holding a ticket bought from an unauthorized third-party reseller, so buy from the official site or from an established tour operator whose price includes a guide¹¹.

One change to note if you’re traveling with a large group: from 29 September 2026, groups of more than nine people (including the guide) can no longer buy tickets at the on-site ticket office and must book online in advance through the Tower’s dedicated professional platform¹⁰. This applies to guided groups, not families buying their own tickets together.

Hours

The Tower publishes a live calendar rather than one fixed year-round schedule. For the week of 19-23 September 2026, it was open daily 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the last elevator to the top at 10:30 p.m.¹⁸. The Visitor Regulations state the general pattern differently: open 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., or 9 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. in the summer season, with ticket sales ending 45 minutes before closing and the same 10:30 p.m. last ascent to the top (11 p.m. in summer)¹¹. The two agree on the last ascent; for the closing time on your date, trust the live calendar. Hours are subject to change without notice, and access to the top can be restricted in severe weather or at peak periods¹. Check the live calendar on the Tower’s own site for your travel dates rather than relying on a fixed rule.

The three floors, and what's on each one

You always start your visit on the highest floor your ticket covers, then work your way down³.

Sources for the table:² for the figures,¹ for how each floor is reached.

Five elevators run from the esplanade to the second floor; two pairs of “duolift” elevators run from the second floor to the top, and that change of elevator is the only way to finish the ascent². The top holds a reconstruction of Gustave Eiffel’s own office, with wax figures of Eiffel and his daughter Claire, and a champagne bar¹. Two restaurants, Madame Brasserie (first floor) and Jules Verne, operate by reservation; cafés on the esplanade, first floor and second floor sell hot and cold food without one¹. Free toilets and baby-changing facilities are on every floor except the top, which has toilets but not changing facilities¹.

Getting to the Tower

The official address is 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, on the Champ de Mars⁴. There are two public entrances: Entry 1 (South) and Entry 2 (East), each with separate queues for visitors with tickets and those without. A first security check happens at these entries; the Tower advises allowing 10 to 20 minutes for it³.

By metro, line 6 (Bir Hakeim) is the closest station, under 10 minutes on foot from Entry 1; lines 9 (Trocadéro) and 8 (École Militaire) are about 15 minutes on foot. RER C stops at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel, 5 minutes from Entry 1. Buses 82, 30 and 42 stop near Entry 2⁴. The gardens and esplanade beneath the Tower are free to enter without a ticket¹.

Security and bag rules

Bag and parcel checks apply at both entries, and there is no left-luggage office or cloakroom anywhere on site¹⁵. Large luggage, most rolling items other than strollers and mobility devices, and pets other than certified guide dogs are turned away at the door, and anything left behind is treated as lost¹⁵. The full list of what you can and can’t bring, plus how the stroller-parking area works, is covered in Eiffel Tower Bag and Security Rules.

Accessibility

The top and the stairways are not suitable for visitors with limited mobility, for safety reasons tied to emergency evacuation¹³. The lower level of the second floor and the first floor are fully accessible to wheelchair users by elevator, and disabled visitors are asked to identify themselves to the reception team as soon as they arrive on the esplanade³. Visitors with a pacemaker, diabetic kit or similar medical device pass through security normally; the Tower recommends telling the security staff and carrying the relevant medical documentation⁶.

Stairs or elevator?

Stairs tickets only go as far as the second floor: the stairway from there to the top is closed to the public, so climbing all the way up isn’t an option regardless of ticket type⁹. Climbing to the second floor takes about 30 to 45 minutes depending on fitness, against a couple of minutes by elevator⁹⁷. The price gap is real too: stairs to the second floor cost €14.80 against €23.50 by elevator¹. The full comparison, including which entrance sells stairs tickets, is in Eiffel Tower: Stairs or Elevator?

Is the summit worth the extra cost?

Going beyond the second floor to the top adds roughly €13 to an elevator ticket and about an hour to your visit, and it’s the only spot with the champagne bar and Eiffel’s reconstructed office¹⁷. Whether that’s worth it depends on your budget, your time, and whether you can use the top at all — it’s off-limits to wheelchair users. The full breakdown, floor by floor, is at Is the Eiffel Tower Summit Worth It?

How many steps are there?

The Tower has 1,665 steps from the esplanade to the top, but the public can only climb 674 of them — 327 to the first floor and 347 more to the second — because the stairway above the second floor stays closed⁹. The short answer, with sourcing, is at How Many Steps Does the Eiffel Tower Have?

When to go

The Tower’s own guidance divides the day into rough bands: mornings (9 to 11 a.m.) and late evenings (8 to 10:30 p.m.) tend to be quieter, the middle of the day (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is busier, and early evening (5 to 8 p.m.) is in between. The Tower is explicit that this is indicative only — it varies by season, weather, day of the week and how many elevators are running⁸.

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 do not need a tour to visit the Eiffel Tower. Booking an official e-ticket directly through the Tower’s own site is the cheapest route, and it also sells its own staff-led guided tours if you want commentary without a third party¹. A paid tour or reseller ticket earns its price in a couple of specific cases:

• You want the climb itself to be the experience. A guided ascent on foot, with the option to finish by lift, suits visitors who want the stairs explained rather than just climbed. See the Eiffel Tower guided tour by stairs, with optional summit by lift.
• You want the summit bundled with a Seine cruise. A single booking that covers the tower and a river cruise saves you coordinating two separate reservations. See the Eiffel Tower lift access tour with optional summit and Seine cruise, and choose the summit option when you book.

Skip a paid product if the official site has your date and time available — there is no official discount or priority line that a reseller ticket can beat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower?

As of September 2026, an adult elevator ticket to the top costs €36.70; a child (4-11) ticket costs €9.20¹.

How far in advance can I book Eiffel Tower tickets?

Elevator e-tickets can be booked up to 90 days ahead, and stairs e-tickets up to 60 days ahead, through the Tower’s official site³.

Can I buy Eiffel Tower tickets on the day?

Yes, if online tickets remain for the day, or at the on-site ticket office for immediate entry if not — though the office closes well before the Tower itself, so arrive early³.

Is the Eiffel Tower wheelchair accessible?

The first floor and the lower level of the second floor are fully accessible by elevator. The top and the stairways are not, for safety reasons¹³.

How long should I plan for a visit?

About 1.5 hours for the first and second floors, and 2.5 hours if your ticket includes the top⁷.

What is the fastest way to the second floor?

The elevator, which takes a couple of minutes against roughly 30 to 45 minutes on foot up the stairs⁹⁷.

Is there a cloakroom or left-luggage office at the Eiffel Tower?

No. There is no left-luggage office or cloakroom on site, so large bags should stay at your hotel⁵.

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